Various methods and apparatus have heretofore been proposed to minimize the likelihood of theft or embezzlement of currency or other valuable items from portable depositories.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,252 discloses a portable depository employing one key to close an opening in a detachable lid in the depository, and a second key to permit removal of the lid from the depository to provide access to the interior. Neither key is associated with a member that (a) controls insertion/removal of the depository into/from the housing of the vending apparatus within which the depository is removably housed, or (b) permits the key to be inserted into the lock only when the member is in a position in which it prevents removal of the depository from the vending apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,503 discloses a portable coin container that comprises a lock having a latching portion that normally holds a slidable cover in fixed position over an opening to prevent the contents of an inner container from exiting via an aperture in an enveloping housing. This housing carries a shielded key that is attached by way of a rod to another cover that is retractable to enable insertion/removal of the container into/from the housing.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 5, published in October 1972, discloses (at pp. 1146-1148) a cash bag having a slidable door that automatically closes an aperture when the bag is removed from a safe or the like.